| animal cell culture | <cell culture> Mammalian cells are fragile and harder to grow than other cell types, but their large-scale culturing is an economic boon because it allows for the production of proteins that are otherwise difficult or expensive or unethical to extract from living organisms. The cells are immobilised on a substrate and then perfused with culture medium, The cells are in a free suspension which is very gently mixed and aerated. (12 Nov 1997) |
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| anoxic culture | A culture of anaerobicmicrobes which use inorganic substances other thanoxygen as their terminal electron acceptors. (09 Oct 1997) |
| anther culture | A plant culturing technique in which immature pollen is made to divide andgrow into tissue (either callus or embryonic tissue) in either aliquidmedium or on solid media. Pollen-containing anthers are removed from aflower and put in a culture medium, some microspheres survive and developinto tissue. If embryonic tissue develops, its put in a medium favorablefor shoot and root development, if its callus tissue, its put in asolution of hormones that will spur it to differentiate and develop shootand root tissue. (09 Oct 1997) |
| axenic culture | <cell culture, microbiology> A culture that contains only one microbial species. (02 Jan 1998) |
| batch culture | A closed system culture of microorganisms with specific nutrient types, temperature, pressure, aeration, and other environmental conditions, where only a few generations are allowed to grow before all nutrients are used up. Compare: continuous culture. (09 Oct 1997) |
| blood culture | <investigation, microbiology> A test which involves the incubation of a blood specimen overnight to determine if bacteria are present. (27 Sep 1997) |
| cell culture | General term referring to the maintenance of cell strains or lines in the laboratory. (18 Nov 1997) |
| roll-tube culture | A culture in a tube of medium which has been melted and allowed to solidify while the tube is being spun; the inside of the tube is thereby coated with a thin layer of solidified medium. (05 Mar 2000) |
| confluent culture | <cell biology> A cell culture in which all the cells are in contact and the entire surface of the culture vessel is covered. It is also often used with the implication that the cells have also reached their maximum density, though confluence does not necessarily mean that division will cease or that the population will not increase in size. (18 Nov 1997) |
| continuous culture | <cell culture> A culture of microorganisms in a liquid medium which is maintained under constant conditions with a constant nutrient supply so that it can grow steadily for an extended period of time. Compare: batch culture. (11 Jan 1998) |
| culture | <cell culture, procedure> To grow in vitro. (18 Nov 1997) |
| culture collections | <cell culture> A collection of pure cultures of microorganisms and cultured cell lines. A repository that acts as a biological patenting office and a clearing house for authentic pure cultures. (14 Nov 1997) |
| culture media | Any liquid or solid preparation made specifically for the growth, storage, or transport of microorganisms or other types of cells. The variety of media that exist allow for the culturing of specific microorganisms and cell types, such as differential media, selective media, test media, and defined media. Solid media consist of liquid media that have been solidified with an agent such as agar or gelatin. (12 Dec 1998) |
| culture media, conditioned | Culture media containing biologically active components obtained from previously cultured cells or tissues that have released into the media substances affecting certain cell functions (e.g., growth, lysis). (12 Dec 1998) |
| culture media, serum-free | Culture media free of serum proteins but including the minimal essential substances required for cell growth. This type of medium avoids the presence of extraneous substances that may affect cell proliferation or unwanted activation of cells. (12 Dec 1998) |